BETHLEHEM, Pa. –– After dropping the first two sets, the Navy volleyball team was unable to fully complete the comeback as the Mids lost a five-set decision to Lehigh Saturday afternoon in Bethlehem, Pa.  The Mountain Hawks (5-11, 2-4 Patriot League) defeated the Mids (6-8, 2-3), 26-24, 25-15, 17-25, 22-25, 15-11.

The fifth set was tied at 6-6 when Lehigh scored back-to-back points on a kill and a block.  Navy was able to draw to within one point at 8-7, 9-8 and 10-9, but a Lehigh kill and Navy attack error made the score 12-9.  Navy again closed to within one point at 12-11 after kills from Maggie Bodman (So., Northbrook, Ill.) and Jordan Llewellyn (So., Port Deposit, Md.), but Lehigh answered with a kill to make the score 13-11.  A Navy attack error took the Mountain Hawks to match point, which they converted on a kill.

Navy held a 20-18 lead in the first set when Lehigh ran off the next four points to take a 22-20 lead.  The teams exchanged sideouts to make the score 24-22 in favor of the Mountain Hawks.  Another sideout by Navy extended the set, then a kill by Avery Stowell (Sr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) tied the score at 24-24.  A Navy attack error and a Lehigh kill closed out the first set.

Lehigh hit .444 and limited Navy to a (-).043 attack percentage in the second set.  

Navy took control of the third set midway through the frame as the Mids turned a set that was tied at 5-5 into a 10-5 advantage.  Stowell registered seven of Navy's 16 kills in the stanza.

The Mids built a 21-18 lead in set number four, but quickly found themselves tied with the Mountain Hawks at 21-21.  A Stowell kill followed by a block from the tandem of Stowell and Anna Klemeyer (So., Sarasota, Fla.) made the score 23-21.  That was followed by a kill from Llewellyn to take the Mids to set point with a 24-21 lead.  The Mountain Hawks staved off one opportunity for the Mids with a kill, but a Stowell kill sent the match into a fifth set.

Lehigh posted only three more kills than Navy in the match, 57-54, but the Mountain Hawks held .255-.142 advantage in hitting percentage.  Lehigh committed 19 attack errors and forced Navy into 31, which was partly due to the Mountain Hawks holding a 12-5 edge in blocks.  Navy had slightly more digs, 66-62, and dropped in 10 aces to four for Lehigh.  The Mountain Hawks also committed 13 service errors to 10 for the Mids.

Stowell ended the match with 16 kills and three aces and Bodman recorded 14 kills to go along with a .522 attack percentage.  Stowell and Bodman each also accounted for three blocks.  Cami Herman (Sr., Brookfield, Wis.) totaled eight kills, five aces and 12 digs, the latter ranking second on the team to the 16 snared by Kimberly Lynch (Sr., Murrieta, Calif.).

Navy will be home this coming weekend for matches against Holy Cross (Oct. 8) and Lafayette (Oct. 9).